Prophecy Girl
by FidgetGlitterBlossom
Summary: Sofia becomes a woman, and turns to Cedric for help. The sorcerer reassures the princess that this is a normal part of growing up, but soon she develops a disturbing symptom that is anything but typical. Rated M for possible Cedfia later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** This story wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it out, and it has quite the life of its own. Final warning to turn back if a story about Sofia's first period might make you squickish, but I promise there' s much more to it than that, and I don't go into gory detail. If you don't want to do the math, Sofia is 16. Please read & review.

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Sofia sat straight up in bed. She was drenched in sweat, her sheets were tangled tightly around her from tossing and turning, and she couldn't seem to catch her breath no matter how she struggled for air. She scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could, but as soon as she was upright, she felt a gush from between her legs.

Running to the bathroom, the young princess was horrified to see blood on her nightgown and undergarments. Except for being so scared that she was shaking, and a dull pain in her stomach, she felt alright, so she had no way to determine the cause. She cleaned herself up as well as she could, changed into a fresh gown, stuffed handkerchiefs into her undergarments, and rushed to the little hole in her wall that Clover used to sneak into her room.

"I wish to be small." Sofia told her pink amulet, and soon she was no taller than a wee sprite. She easily slipped through the door, returning to her normal size, and rushed through the castle's hidden corridors, knowing them so well after eight years of traveling them that she could navigate them in her sleep. Soon, she was climbing the ladder under the trap door that led to the quarters of the only person she would dream of going to with a major problem like this.

Hoisting herself up through the hole in the floor, Sofia closed the wooden trap quietly behind her. She took a deep breath, mentally pleading with her best friend to be awake. He often kept late hours, but with no idea what time it was, she couldn't be sure he wasn't in bed, yet.

Gently, she gave a knock on the door, standing still and listening for as long as her frazzled nerves would allow. She heard no stirring within the sorcerer's tower. Trying the knob proved useless, so she retrieved the spare key from the hidden compartment in the toe of the green gargoyle perched next to the entrance.

She turned the key in the lock and opened the heavy wooden door that separated her friend's tower from the rest of the palace. Once she was inside, she quietly closed the door behind her. The workshop was lit only by the pale moonlight streaming through the windows, and she relied partly on her memory to get her through the room and down the stairs to his bedroom, a room he often told her was forbidden, even though he never did more than scold her slightly for intruding on the space. For a brief period in her life she was allowed, even welcomed there, but all of that changed over time, the sorcerer forcing her to keep a physical distance from him as she grew into a teenager.

Making her way into the room, she called to him. When he wasn't working late, he was often laying in bed trying hard to sleep, having been a long time victim of insomnia, so it was possible that he would answer her.

"Mr Ceedric. Are you awake?" She held her breath, listening for signs of movement, or, better yet, a reply. None came. Covering her eyes, she approached the bed. For all the time she had known him, Cedric despised bedclothes. She never saw anything inappropriate on the occasions she woke him, but the knowledge that under his heavy black blanket, the sorcerer was wearing only the black gloves that never left his hands made her flush. _I can't think about that, now. I need him to help me._ Sofia reminded herself.

The princess stretched her arm out at full length, peeking between her fingers just enough to pinpoint his bare shoulder in the soft light and poke him lightly on it. The skin beneath her finger was soft and smooth, and the contact caused her breath to catch. She recovered and gave him another poke.

"Mr Ceedric, please wake up." She said, knowing it would take more than that to do the job. When the sorcerer did sleep, he slept like the dead. With a sigh, she scooted closer, wrapping her hand around his thin shoulder and giving it a shake.

"Wake up. I need you!" She hissed out. He muttered something that wasn't quite words, but otherwise stayed asleep. She reached her other hand out and wrapped her slender fingers around his other shoulder and shook him harder. Nothing happened for a moment, and then his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her toward him, eyes still closed.

"Mr Ceedric!" Sofia's stunned voiced snapped him out of his sleep, and he pulled his arm away quickly, shooting upright in bed and adjusting his blankets to assure he was covered properly. Sure that his modesty was uncompromised, he turned to study the intruder, eyes narrowed and features set as sternly as possible.

"What is the rule about being in my room, little one?" He scolded, emphasizing each word as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, but I just-" She tried to explain.

"The rule." He repeated impatiently, his gaze seeming to get more intense by the second.

"No going in your room without permission. But-" She knew the rule, and she did follow it. Mostly. Well, at least half the time. He raised his hand to stop her once she finished the part he wanted to hear.

"Go wait in my workshop, I'll be out shortly." He said. She knew he had every right to be cross with her, but this was urgent.

"But I need your help. Quickly." She persisted. He shook his head, a frown rapidly becoming discernable on his face.

"Workshop. Now. Go!" He insisted. Understanding that she wasn't going to be heard until he was ready, she turned and huffed off into the other room, arms folded in annoyance, heavy footsteps much too close to stomping to be appropriate for a girl her age. As she reached the stairs, his voice rang out again.

"And close the blasted door, Sofia!" Returning to the entrance to his chambers, she slammed the door shut before retreating loudly up the steps to the main floor of the tower. She stood next to Cedric's work table, fuming at the way he dismissed her, even though she knew better than to enter his room in the first place.

"Stop sulking, Sofia." His voice came, the first sound alerting her of his presence. Sofia spun around to see him making his way up the last couple of stairs to his workshop, pants on and tugging his shirt into place.

"Lightupicus." He spoke, waving his wand towards the far wall of the room. The sconces flared high before settling on a low light that wouldn't sting his tired eyes too much.

"Honestly, Princess, is it really that hard to abide by such a simple request?" He asked, trying hard to mask his amusement at the sight of the teenaged princess pouting like a small child in the middle of his workshop. Sofia often acted differently in his workshop than she ever would elsewhere, secure in her freedom from societal demands within his tower. Cedric didn't mind, glad that she felt so comfortable around him to be herself. He handed her a spare robe, which she quickly pulled around herself.

"I need your help. It's urgent." She explained, eyes pleading with him to fix whatever was wrong with her. His demeanor softened.

"What's the problem, little one?" He asked gently. Sofia didn't know what came over her, but all of the sudden she was crying, hiccupping out an explanation about waking suddenly from a terrible nightmare, most of the details now forgotten except for the terror the dream left screaming within her.

"And I'm bleeding. I don't know why, I don't think I'm injured, but there's so much of it. I need a healing spell, Mr Ceedric, please." She sobbed, begging the sorcerer to heal her mystery ailment. At the mention of blood, his eyes grew wide, and he rushed to close the distance between them. His eyes ran over her form, trying to find the source of the problem _. I knew he would help me!_ Sofia told herself, the thought soothing her a bit.

"Where are you bleeding?" He asked, unable to find the source. At the realization that she would have to tell him exactly where she was bleeding from for him to fix the problem, a heat spread down from her ears and across her face.

"It's my... I-I can't tell you, exactly." She stammered, the last words scarcely even a whisper. His brows furrowed in confusion, trying to puzzle out exactly what her non answer meant. Soon they raised in shock, as it dawned on him just what had happened.

"I can lighten... that. Make it easier. But there's no cure for it but time, Sofia." He moved past her to fetch a book from his large shelf, avoiding eye contact as he passed. Over the last year or so, there'd been hints that this was coming, her hips widened, the top of her bodice began to fill out, but he pointedly ignored the obvious changes. After all, he had no business noticing such things.

"Why is there no cure? What's happening? Am I cursed again?" At her questions, he spun on his heels, speechlessly examining the girl in shock. His reaction only further worried the anxious princess.

"Is it that bad, Mr Ceedric?" She continued, moving closer to try and catch a glimpse of the tome in front of him. He snapped it shut before she could read anything. If she didn't know, yet, she certainly couldn't find out about it from cold, clinical definitions in a book.

"Has no one explained this to you, child?" He asked in disbelief. Sofia simply shook her head, still looking to Cedric very much like a frightened animal. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"Some tea and a chat it is, then." He decided, gesturing for her to sit at his table. He walked over to his supply cabinet and started pulling out the things he knew would help Sofia. Chasteberry, raspberry leaves, tumeric, ginger, shepard's purse, and assam black tea leaves. He brewed the ingredients in his cast iron cauldron, using his kettle to make himself a cup of darjeerling at the same time. When both were finished, he poured them into his old tea cups and set them down on the table, sinking into his own chair and rubbing his face wearily. He stopped in the middle of the motion and glanced over his fingertips at the perfectly silent princess.

"I dare say, Sofia, I don't think you've ever gone this long without speaking in your life." It was an attempt at humor, but it did nothing to cheer the princess.

"It's despicable, letting you go into this unprepared. What's that school teaching you? And for that matter, why the devil didn't your mother-" He muttered, stopping abruptly upon accidentally mentioning the queen. He supposed Sofia was too young for those types of conversations when her mother passed, and he cursed himself for letting the accusation that she was negligent slip through his lips.

"I'm sorry, little one. I didn't mean to..." Was all he could think to say. Sofia nodded and lifted the tea he prepared to her face, sniffing before giving a look of disgust.

"You're sure I'm meant to drink this?" She asked, sure that nothing with an odor like that was meant to be ingested.

"I'm told it tastes better than it smells." He offered, absentmindedly blowing steam off of his own tea. Sofia did the same before taking a tentative sip. She sputtered loudly, nearly upending the cup in her haste to return it to the table. Despite the atmosphere, Cedric chuckled at the girl's reaction.

"You said it would taste good!" Sofia complained.

"I said it tastes better than it smells. It's hardly the same thing." He reminded her. He was rewarded for his trickery with a hint of a smile from the princess. You could never take anything for granted with Cedric, and it was one of the things she adored about him.

"Will you tell me..." She ventured, and he gestured to her cup.

"First be a good girl and drink up, then I'll explain everything. On your word that you didn't hear it from me, of course." He instructed. He suspected the king would have his head for discussing such things with his teenaged daughter, but he couldn't send her back to her room alone in that state of near panic. She was his friend, his apprentice, and she deserved so much better than that.

He watched her carefully as she valiantly drank her tea, pinching her nose to help with the taste, and stopping now and then to make more disgusted faces and pained groans. On a few occasions he fought to suppress laughter at the princess's exaggerated display.

"There. Now please tell me what's going on?" She asked, presenting her empty tea cup for approval. Cedric gave a sigh, not sure how to breech the sensitive subject with her.

"What happened to you is something that happens to every girl. I suppose it's not considered proper to discuss, and that's why no one warned you, but it is perfectly normal, Sofia. It means you've become a woman." Cedric explained. Sofia quirked an eyebrow at him.

"But wasn't I already a woman?" She asked, not grasping his meaning. Cedric chuckled.

"You were a girl. Now, you're all grown up. Well, maybe not all, but much closer to it." When she continued to look at him expectantly, he sank into his chair, a frustrated groan escaping him. He was trying to skirt around the heart of the subject, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that he was going to have to spell it out for her. He sat up and locked eyes with her.

"It means... you can create children, Sofia." He added gently. Her expression, a mixture of terror and sorrow, was enough to break even his hardened heart.

"But I don't want to. Make it go away, Mr Ceedric, please." She begged. Soon, she was crying again, her body heaving with great sobs. Cedric stood from his chair so fast that he very nearly flipped the table over, and soon he was at the girl's side, arms wrapped protectively around her as she cried into his shirt.

"Hush, little one. You're okay." He tried his best to reassure her, but she was inconsolable. He placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head and rubbed her back lovingly, not sure what else to do but hold her until she cried herself out.

"It's okay to be frightened, Sofia, but it's a wonderful thing. It usually doesn't happen like that, I promise." He soothed. Truth be told, he did know spells that would solve her problem, but they were all permanent, the choice would forever be taken from her, and he considered her much too young to make such a lasting decision _. You forgave me my other secrets, please understand this one if you discover it._ He prayed as he continued to shush the petite girl in his arms.

"Please don't make me leave. Not tonight." She begged, her voice small and hoarse from crying.

"Sofia, we've talked about this, you're far too old for-" He started to repeat a lecture he made so often over the years that he could recite it in his sleep, but she wasn't having it.

"No. You've been telling me I'm too old for five years, and I don't care about any of it. I just need... I can't go back there tonight. Please!" Cedric could feel his resolve faltering.

There was a period of time after her mother's death where he had braved the king's wrath and allowed such impropriety. Sofia clung to him like a lifeline in her time of grief, and even the great King Roland II didn't dare to attempt to sever their bond. But eventually, his patience wore thin, Cedric ending up on the receiving end of his temper. The men finally agreed that Cedric would slowly distance himself from Sofia, saving her from rumors of scandal, although Cedric knew it was him and not idle gossip that worried the king. He went along with it anyways, coward that he was.

Now she was here, pleading with him to ignore the boundaries he worked so hard to set, and he wasn't quite sure what to do. After debating with himself for what seemed like ages, he stood and headed for the stairs. When he heard no footsteps following him, he turned back to Sofia.

"I haven't got all night, child. Are you coming or aren't you?" He asked with feined annoyance. Sofia scrambled from her chair and rushed to close the distance between them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** I'm so glad people seemed to like this story. I was very nervous about posting it, and considered taking it down a few times after I did, but the positive response is what kept it up. Thanks to everyone who faved, followed, and reviewed.

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After shaking off the sorcerer's robe, Sofia practically dove into the bed, the memories of their time spent together here a source of great comfort. She rolled onto her stomach and nuzzled her head into Cedric's pillow, discreetly giving it a sniff. Cedric had a scent very much his own, and she had missed it incredibly.

She had no idea what caused him to push her away in the first place, but for this one night she was determined to pretend that it never happened. She needed him tonight, the same way she needed him a few years ago, after the sudden, shocking death of her mother. His agreement meant that she didn't have to worry about why he built such barriers around their friendship. Such thoughts could wait until morning. Of course, now she had other worries, but she tried not to dwell on those, either.

Cedric watched the princess throw herself into his bed, willing himself not to be taken in by her antics. _Her father is going to have my head for this._ He reminded himself. He slowly climbed in after her, keeping as much distance between their bodies as his small bed would allow. When he made no move to close the gap, Sofia scooted toward him, the pair now mere inches apart.

"Sofia, don't." He warned, propping his head up on his hand to look down at the girl sternly. She turned her head to give an answering glare, but her mouth was set in a devilish smile. She gave a wiggle, and soon his chest was pressed against her back, long legs curled to tuck neatly behind shorter ones.

It was exactly how they slept for nearly a year when she was younger, but so very different thanks to the fact of Sofia's ripening features. He was no longer comforting a motherless child, he was soothing a blossoming young woman, and though his head remained in denial about that fact, his heart did not.

Sofia whined softly, and he groaned, knowing what it was she was after, and that, of course, he would comply. After pulling the covers up to their shoulders, he tucked his arm neatly under her rib cage, the motion bringing her even closer against him. Exhaustion settling on Sofia, she was asleep before another word could be said. Cedric stayed up, willing himself to let go of the princess and distance himself on the bed, but his body simply refused to cooperate. Eventually, sleep claimed him, too.

Cedric awoke with a start, looking around to determine what roused him. Sunlight was just beginning to illuminate his room, and he could hear the distant sound of birds chirping out their morning songs. Sofia, still tucked protectively under his arm, was whimpering loudly, her body writhing against his bed.

"Sofia!" He hissed into her ear. An unearthly moan was her only reply.

"Wake up, little one. You're having a nightmare." He moved his arm to shake her, but to no avail.

"Get up, child." He demanded, voice louder now.

"Wormwood!" Sofia called out in an anguished tone, suddenly upright in the bed, eyes wide with panic. He waved his hand in front of her face, but she stared as if she could see right through him. _A night terror._ He deduced. He witnessed her nightmares following the death of the queen, but never a night terror. _Why did she call out for Wormy?_ He wondered.

Sofia blinked, and the episode ended. She collapsed back to the bed, shaking against the thin mattress. Cedric pulled her to him again. She was clammy and soaked in sweat. He frowned at the state of the princess. Vaguely, he remembered her saying something about a nightmare in his workshop last night. He'd completely forgotten about it, due to the bigger surprise the rest of her news contained. He shushed her until her body stilled and her breath slowed. Finally, he spoke.

"Will you be alright by yourself for a minute?" He asked. She gave a slight nod. Cedric placed a gentle kiss to the back of her chestnut curls before climbing out of the bed. He stood and stretched, allowing the girl time to change her mind, but she didn't speak.

"I'll be back soon, little one." He cooed before leaving the room. He climbed the stairs to his workshop, stopping to check on his raven familiar as he walked by the wooden perch. _That's silly, of course he's okay. It was only a dream._ He chided himself. He stroked the bird's chest feathers before moving on.

Sofia stayed in bed, chilled by the absence of Cedric's warm body, but otherwise beginning to feel better. She desperately tried to recover the details of her dream, feeling that they were somehow important. All she could recall was a single black feather floating to the ground, an image that made her heart ache with unexplained grief.

She noticed that Cedric left the bedroom door open, presumably so she could call for him should she have need to. She could hear him talking in the workshop, no doubt to his long time companion. She smiled to herself, thinking about the day that the three of them visited Hexely Hall, and Cedric accidentally dropped a speaking potion on the jet black bird. She suspected it was one of the best days of Cedric's life. He and Wormwood grew so much closer since that day, and now the pair were practically inseparable.

The image of the lone falling feather replayed in her mind, and a shudder ran through her entire body. _It couldn't have been Wormwood. Why would I dream such a thing?_ Before she had much time to ponder it, Cedric was at the bedroom door, a tray of conjured food balanced in his hands. She sat upright, tucking her legs to either side of her body. Cedric placed the tray in the middle, with Sofia helping to pull out the legs as he lowered it. Then, he sat on the bed opposite the princess.

Everything about last night and today was as it was years ago, and it warmed her despite all her worries. Her eyes fell to the cup of steaming tea on her side of the tray, the smell giving away the nature of the contents. She wrinkled her nose at it.

"Not again?" She complained, and Cedric flashed her an apologetic smile.

"Three times a day for as long as the bleeding continues, I'm afraid." He explained, lifting a forkful of eggs to his mouth before hesitating.

"Eggs are still alright, aren't they?" He asked, genuinely concerned that he may have forgotten the details of the princess's unusual diet. She smiled warmly at him, glad he remembered at all.

"Eggs are fine. Unless Wormword has an objection to them." She teased. At the mention of the raven's name, Cedric's body stiffened, his weight shifting in the bed.

"What's the matter?" She asked, worried by his response. Cedric cleared his throat.

"You called out to him... Wormy. In your sleep. The anguish in your voice was so chilling, I guess I'm just having trouble reminding myself it was only a dream." He explained. Sofia's gaze grew distant.

"Did I?" She murmured, eyebrows furrowed as she tried again to remember her dream. Again the black feather fell. This time when it landed, an explosion of pain ripped through Sofia's head. She gave an audible gasp, instinctively reaching for her head. Cedric reached over and took her hands into his own, pulling them away from her face. A curtain of stars filled her field of vision.

"Drink your tea. The tumeric is for pain, and the black tea helps with headaches. Migraines are a common symptom." He said, trying to mask the overwhelming concern in his voice. Even though he possessed all the textbook knowledge on the subject, and had treated plenty of women over the years, somehow seeing his only true friend suffer through it was an entirely different experience.

When he saw how the girl's hands were shaking, he lifted the teacup for her, pressing it to her lips. She sputtered on the liquid once, and he worried that it might come back up, but she managed to swallow it instead. She was too desperate for relief and blinded by pain to give a repeat of last night's dramatic performance. When the cup was emptied, he shifted the tray to his bedside table, promising himself that he would get the princess to eat her breakfast later. He crossed the bed to sit by her side and wrapped protective arms around her, guiding her back onto the mattress so she could rest.

Just as he thought she might be asleep, she spoke.

"Did Amber..." She inquired, exhausting her strength with just those two words, figuring her older sister must have gone through the same thing. He caught her meaning easily enough.

"When she was twelve, if you can believe it." He answered softly, not wanting to aggravate her migraine.

"Did she drink the tea?" She managed to ask. Cedric chuckled, remembering the older princess's reaction to the concoction.

"She wouldn't touch the stuff. And the look she gave me for suggesting it... I thought she might actually throw the cup at me." He recounted, shaking his head. A hint of a smile played across her face.

"I thought as much." She said lightly. Cedric reached up and brushed some stray hairs off of Sofia's face.

"So you've treated every woman who's lived in the castle?" She continued her questions, though Cedric wished she would rest.

"Since becoming the royal sorcerer, yes. Though no one's ever required overnight care before." He teased. Realizing that what he said could be misconstrued as a euphemism, a slight blush spread across his cheeks. He could feel Sofia's body relaxing against him.

"Feeling better, little one?" He asked.

"Slightly." She nodded her response. When he shifted away from her, she whimpered at him, and he clucked his tongue.

"You have to eat, Sofia." He insisted, bringing the tray back onto the bed and reclaiming his seat opposite her. They ate the food Cedric had conjured, pausing here and there to chat. Sofia was gradually recovering from her previous state, much to Cedric's relief. When the breakfast was finished, he waved the plates away with his wand, and took the tray upstairs.

Cedric felt like he didn't have a care in the world, until he took notice of the time. Sofia's chambermaid would be coming to collect her from her room soon, and while he didn't like the idea of forcing Sofia to sneak around and be dishonest, he was also quite attached to his head. He glanced back towards his bedroom with a sigh. When he returned, she was laying back against the pillows, resting.

"Sofia, it's time for you to go back to your room." He spoke gently, knowing she wasn't going to be thrilled with the idea. Her eyes remained closed as she spoke.

"Do I have to?" She asked, but Cedric already anticipated that she would try to talk him out of it.

"Yes. They'll be looking for you shortly, and you are not going to be found here. I don't know the details, but I'm well aware that you can get around the castle without being seen." He played his trump card. For years he watched her seemingly appear in certain areas of the castle, despite not having been spotted in the halls. He had no idea how she did it, but that wasn't the important part. Sofia giggled, surprising the sorcerer.

"Do you want to know my secret?" She asked, her voice a playful tease. Cedric stood agape, wondering if it might be some trick. After some thought, he decided that while she liked her games, she never outright deceived him. It wasn't her style.

"I-I... Yes, actually." He stammered out, now dying to know. Climbing out of the bed, Sofia pressed a finger to her lips and shushed him, smiling mischievously at her friend. She grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs and out of the tower.

In the hallway, her hands scrambled around on the floor until she found the hidden trap door. Cedric stood frozen in shock as she lifted it and vanished down the ladder. After a minute, she popped back up and looked at him impatiently.

"Come on." She whispered. Cedric shook himself to attention and followed her down the ladder, carefully closing the door behind them. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness of the hidden corridor the pair now found themselves in. Sofia reclaimed his hand and began to lead him forward. They turned a few corners, walking in silence. Cedric did his best to memorize the route as they went along. Shortly, they came up against what appeared to be a dead end.

"Do you think you can get back on your own?" Sofia asked him, frowning at herself for not considering his return trip earlier. Cedric turned his wide eyes toward her.

"You're not going to show me the whole way?" He asked, trying to puzzle out the logic behind showing him the passages only to leave him at this point in the corridor. Sofia's laugh only confused Cedric further.

"We're already here." She told him, watching in amusement as he glanced around, trying to find the exit.

"A false wall?" He asked, sure that must be the answer. He skirted past the princess and felt along the wall, but it seemed solid enough. She shook her head and giggled, still clearly amused at the game.

"I wish to be small." Sofia said, taking her amulet into her hands. Soon, she was tiny again. She pushed open the little door to her bedroom, waving goodbye to the sorcerer as she disappeared through the opening, leaving him to find his way back to his tower.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note** : I want to thank everyone again for the support that this odd little side project has received. Not much else to say except I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

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Sofia stood in her chambers, her eyes watering at the bright light streaming in through her window. She made it back in plenty of time, she knew. Crossing the room to her bed, she noticed that she had stained some of the bedding while she slept last night. _Thank goodness Mr Ceedric has those black sheets._ She thought with relief. She stripped the sheets herself, not wanting to leave them for Violet to deal with. Her mind reeled with all of the events and information from the past night and this morning.

 _If Mr Ceedric has treated all of the women in the castle, that means he helped my mom._ She thought, not sure how that information made her feel. She wished she could talk to Amber, but her sister had returned to her role as Queen of the Rompkins shortly after her eighteenth birthday, leaving Sofia to go through this without any sisterly advice. Shortly, Violet knocked, rousing her out of her thoughts. Sofia quickly answered the door, greeting the maid as cheerfully as possible.

"Morning, Princess. Did'ya sleep well last night?" Violet inquired good-naturedly.

"Yes, Violet, thank you." Sofia answered, reasoning that once she was in Cedric's bed, she did more or less sleep well. Violet drew her bath, and Sofia dutifully stripped and went in. When the maid moved to grab her night clothes, Sofia tried her best to scramble out and stop her, the princess's face turning bright red in embarrassment.

"Violet, wait!" She cried, one leg thrown over the side of the tub. The maid was unphased.

"Oh, I was wondering when this would happen." She cooed gently. Sofia avoided her kind gaze, cheeks still flaming.

"I'll fetch you some supplies while you bathe." Violet promised, gathering the soiled clothes and hurrying from the room. Sofia relaxed into the tub, relishing in the feel of the soothing water on her skin. Her eyes were just beginning to slip closed when Violet returned. With a gentle scolding about the dangers of falling asleep in the bath, she helped Sofia climb out and get dried off. Returning to the bedroom, Sofia saw a small stack of red dresses laid out on her bed, and wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

"I can't wear my normal dresses?" She asked, lifting one to look it over.

"Not until you're done. These were Princess Amber's, so they'll be a little big on you, but they'll do for now. We'll have Coulette make you some of your own, now that you need them." Sofia held the dress up to her body, suppressing an eye roll at the understatement of their size difference. Amber stood nearly a full head and shoulders above Sofia, and though slim, was not petite like she was. Her eyes fell to something else laying on the bed next to the dresses.

"What are these?" She asked Violet, lifting one to eye it suspiciously.

"Bloodmoss sewn into cotton casing. It catches most of the problem" Violet informed her matter-of-factly. The chambermaid had come across Sofia's hidden soiled bedding and was gathering it up to be laundered. Sofia wondered about her issue being referred to as a problem. She'd been scared out of her mind at what it meant, but Mr Ceedric's description of it had been all positive words. Sofia tugged on her undergarments, and Violet helped her into the first red dress, which was bordering on comically large. On her way out, Violet stopped at the door to add one last thought.

"That sorcerer may be a bumbling fool, but he works miracles when it comes to this. Everyone here goes to him." She confided, unknowingly angering the princess with her negative description of the royal sorcerer. Sofia had spent her whole time in the palace trying to change public perception of her friend, and it pained her to hear her favorite maid speak of him that way. Sofia examined herself in the mirror with a frown, piling her hair into a sloppy updo.

"Mr Ceedric is an amazing sorcerer and a kind man." She corrected the maid, trying to keep her voice even. The sound of the door closing left her to wonder if Violet heard her response. With a sigh, she left the room to head down to breakfast with her family.

Cedric was glad he paid attention as Sofia led him through the labyrinthine paths of the castle's hidden core. He found his way back to his tower with a reasonable amount of ease. He was still in a state of disbelief as he opened the heavy wooden door of his workshop. The fact that there were secret passages running all through the palace and he'd been completely unaware, while a mere child knew them by heart was baffling. _What other secrets is Sofia keeping?_ He wondered. He gave Wormwood an absentminded pat as he passed the bird's perch.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Cedric." Wormwood mused, cocking his head at the sorcerer.

"Hmm? Yes, quite. Did you know there were secret tunnels leading all over the castle, Wormy?" Cedric asked the raven. If a bird could look shocked, Wormwood did. He considered pointing out that such a discovery could be used to help them overthrow the king, but he was well aware that plans of treason had been quietly forsaken by his master long ago. The change started when he and Sofia became friends, then it grew more obvious when Cedric was caught and promised Sofia to abandon his efforts. Wormwood thought they would continue in secret, but when the Queen had died, and the loss nearly destroyed Sofia, it became apparent that Cedric would no longer entertain plots against the royal family.

"You don't say?" Wormwood settled on his noncommittal response. Cedric simply nodded, already seated at his worktable and scanning his list of things that needed accomplished for the day.

"Sofia, there you are!" Roland declared as his youngest daughter entered the dining hall. He was surprised to see her dressed in a color other than her signature lilac, but then he remembered what the red dress symbolized, blushing slightly at the knowledge that his little girl was finally all grown up. It only made the topic he wanted to discuss all the more urgent.

"Good morning, Dad. Good morning, Tristan." Sofia said, pausing to kiss her six-year-old brother on the head as she passed him on the way to her seat. He beamed up at her, food already covering his face, reminding her so much of her older brother when he was little.

"Mo'ning, Pobea!" He replied, her heart warming at the sound of his cute little voice. She even loved his speech impediment, though their father was sensitive about it. Not a day went by that she didn't miss her mother terribly, but Tristan was absolutely precious to her, and she couldn't imagine life without him.

"Sofia. Good morning, Sofia." Roland corrected his son gently. Tristan repeated the words dutifully, but they came out exactly the same as they had on his first attempt.

"Where's James?" Sofia asked, her eyebrows raising in surprise.

"He was summoned by Sir Finnegan at dawn." Her father explained, waving his hand. A knot formed in Sofia's stomach. There had been growing tensions between some of the kingdoms for months now, and she'd been dreading the day that James might be called upon to help settle the disputes should they go beyond peace talks.

"Is it-" She began, but her father held his hand up to stop her, nodding in Tristan's direction.

"I'm sure there was just a dragon to be dealt with or something like that." He reassured, but Sofia wasn't sure if it was the truth, or purely for the youngest prince's benefit. A plate of delicious looking pancakes were placed in front of her, but she frowned at them. Between the worry for her older brother and the wonderful breakfast Cedric shared with her, she could scarcely bring herself to look at food right now. What she did look at was the unfamiliar servant delivering her meal.

"Where is Baileywick?" She demanded of the young man, who simply looked about in panic, unsure of a satisfactory answer.

"He's resting." Came Roland's abrupt reply. His voice lacked emotion, but his face gave away everything Sofia needed to know. Their faithful steward had been resting quite often of late, and everyone in the palace was preparing for the worst.

"I'm gunna fight dagons, too!" Tristan announced, his face displaying his sincerity. Sofia giggled, reaching over to wipe some syrup off of the boy's nose.

"Perhaps you will, some day." She agreed. He returned to shoveling his pancakes into his mouth, his long blonde hair falling into the syrup. Given the circumstances of his birth, and the fact that he was the youngest and last of Roland's children, he mostly was permitted to do as he pleased, and he was adamant about keeping his dishwater curls instead of adopting a style more akin to his father or brother's. Sofia returned her attention to her place setting.

"I'm not feeling terribly hungry, may I be excused?" She asked. Roland studied her carefully.

"Sofia, we need to discuss your debutant ball. It's past time to present you." He began, ready for the battle he knew would come.

"Dad, I keep telling you, I'm not ready for that." She said, trying to shut down the conversation they'd had so many times before.

"And I believe I've been very sensitive to your needs, Sofia. But if we don't do it soon, people will talk. Not just about you, but the state of affairs in the castle. Think how it looks to others, as if I'm unable to throw my daughter a simple ball. There will be rumors of incompetence, or even financial troubles. It must be done, and soon." Roland reasoned with the girl, unable to keep the edge out of his tone. There were enough troubles in the kingdom without manufacturing conspiracies.

"I do not wish to be presented or courted." Sofia stated firmly, emphasizing each word as she spoke. Her father drooped his head, running an anxious hand through his greying hair.

"I'm not saying you have to accept an offer, just make the appearance of being available. Please, sweetheart." He urged her. Sofia crossed her arms, turning to face away from her father.

"Fine. May I go, now? I have a magic lesson." She stated, rising to her feet before he could answer.

"Sofia!" Her father's tone warned, but she refused to entertain that other discussion.

"I said I'd attend your ridiculous ball. You can at least allow me this." She insisted. Her father's sigh told her that he wasn't going to protest further. This time.

"Tell Cedric that I'll need him to aide me in the preparations." He conceded. With that, Sofia left the dining hall and made a beeline for the comfort of Cedric's workshop. She burst into the tower without even bothering to knock.

"Come right in, Sofia." Cedric said sarcastically, his back to her as he bent over his cauldron to work.

"My father wants you to help him plan my death sentence." She snapped, voice dripping with venom. It wasn't aimed at her friend, but born of her utter distaste for the topic. Cedric's hands stilled as he glanced over his shoulder at the princess standing behind him. He had known this moment was coming, and yet it felt like he'd been blindsided by it. Gathering his composure, he turned back to his potion, sure he wouldn't be able to speak if he could see her.

"Marriage is hardly a death sentence, little one." He insisted, though he didn't want anything to do with talking her into the process that would lead to her vows.

"Spiritual death, then." She modified her statement. Cedric's hand gripped the beaker within it tightly.

"You may find a suitor you love." He offered, though it killed him to do so. The thought of Sofia leaving the palace to become future Queen of some far away kingdom who only visited on Wassalia, and even then with precious little time to spend with him, cut him to the core. He knew it was an inevitable reality, but he was in no hurry to see it come to fruition. _Couldn't she just stay a little girl and live here forever? I'm sure I must have a spell for that somewhere_. He plotted to himself, but knew full well he wouldn't follow through with such a plan.

"I know all my potential suitors, and I feel nothing but friendship at best for any of them. I don't wish to learn which of them desire more than that from me, either." Sofia explained. The thought of receiving amorous confessions from the boys she had played pirates and went on adventures with bothered her deeply, almost as if any of them that came forward would be admitting to only having cultivated her favor for their romantic or political intentions and not because they truly were her friends.

"Alright, but you could learn to love one, couldn't you?" Cedric countered, doing his best to focus on counting the drops of lavendar essence he was adding to the cauldron. Sofia marched across the room until their faces were mere inches away from each other, her sapphire eyes drilling into his chocolate brown ones.

"Did you learn to breath, Mr Ceedric, or did it just come naturally?" Sofia inquired. Cedric tried to look away, but she merely followed him, maintaining the uncomfortable eye contact.

"It came naturally." He muttered, well aware of what her line of questioning was meant to prove.

"And if you breathed all your life with your mouth and nose, and suddenly you needed to breath through your eyes, could you make do?" She continued her interrogation. Cedric quirked an eyebrow in very real surprise, which soon gave way to a sadness he couldn't fully explain.

"Do you mean to tell me that your heart is already spoken for, child?" He asked, effectively masking all feeling from his question. He watched the blush spread across her pale skin, and she darted her eyes away, releasing him from their spell. He took a step back to regain some semblance of personal space. _So it's true, then._ He concluded with a scowl.

He returned to his work, trying hard not to consider the implications of her reaction or why it bothered him so. For a few minutes, the tower was dreadfully quiet. Sofia tidied up some haphazard papers and books on his desk, not sure what else to say. Finally, her thoughts turned to the telling absence of the family steward.

"Could we do something for Baileywick?" She asked. She knew the older man was something of a sore subject for her friend, but was sure Cedric wouldn't want to leave him suffering, either.

"Sofia, you know I can't." He told her gently.

"I just mean something to help him rest. I want to make him feel better." She replied. Cedric frowned. He personally didn't give a rat's ass how the old man felt, but as usual, Sofia believed him to be a far better man than he really was, and he was loathe to disappoint her.

"As soon as this is finished." He conceded.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Sorry we didn't get back to the dream in this chapter, I just needed to set some plot up and let you know where some of the other characters are and what's going on with them. I promise we get back to the main plot soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** And. We're back to the main plot... Just realized I mixed up my updates, and this one was supposed to be on Sunday. Oops. We'll go back to the usual schedule next week.

* * *

Cedric sighed as he gathered the preparations for the potion. He had a ton of work to do, tea to prepare thrice daily for Sofia for the next few days, and now that gods awful ball to help plan, and here he was accepting yet another responsibility. He almost longed for the days where he was only called upon to entertain the children with a cardtrick or two. That thought reminded him of another.

"Is your brother's cough better?" He inquired. Sofia smiled warmly at him, and he couldn't help but feel relieved. He wasn't overly involved with the youngest royal, but he knew how much the boy meant to Sofia, and that was enough to make him vested in the child's well-being.

"I didn't hear it once at breakfast, and his coloring is good, too. He has such an appetite this morning, it's a wonder we have enough food to sate him!" She giggled. Her brother's health had been nerve-wracking when a virus sent his already weak lungs into overload, but he was doing well now, all thanks to Cedric for helping her make curatives for the tiny prince.

"I'm glad to hear it. Fetch some water for the cauldron, Sofia." He answered, returning to the page in his book about end of life care to confirm he had everything he needed. Sofia brought the pitcher to him when she finished, and he nodded his appreciation.

"You'll need to enchant it. You're far better at healing magic than I am." He admitted, though it pained him slightly to do so. Sofia attempted to find her wand before realizing that Amber's red gown didn't include a wand pocket, and she'd forgotten the tool in her chambers. She flushed sheepishly. For the first time since she walked in, Cedric studied her, trying to discern the reason for her hesitation, but noticing her peculiar outfit in the process.

"Red doesn't suit you." He muttered, not meaning it to sound insulting, but never being particularly good at sugar coating his words. Sofia shrugged, accustomed to his manners enough to know he meant no harm by it.

"Apparently, I'm expected to wear these until things go back to normal." She said, giving an exaggerated eye roll. Cedric simply gave a hmm, still waiting for his apprentice to perform the spell on the contents of the pitcher.

"Well, go on." He insisted.

"I've forgotten my wand, Mr Ceedric." Sofia confessed, knowing she was going to get an earful. The sorcerer's eyes narrowed.

"That wand is for far more than you seem to remember, child. It's to protect you! I can't always be around to take care of you, you know. What if you were attacked? Or found yourself trapped during one of your adventures? Do you never stop to think of such things?" He lectured. The thought of Sofia walking around without her wand agitated him, especially with the growing unrest beyond the walls of the palace. The princess stared at her feet contritely.

"I'm very sorry. This gown has no pocket, and I forgot to carry it with me." She explained. Cedric shook his head, and with a flick of his own wand, hers was retrieved from its resting place and brought to the table beside him. She had gone through a phase of losing her wand completely, so he linked them, his now forever able to call hers to it, no matter where it may be. He suspected the spell worked both ways, but hadn't let on to Sofia about it.

"There, now hurry up and enchant the water so we can get started." He mumbled, beginning to crush the dry ingredients into a powder as she cast the spell. They worked quickly, and soon Baileywick's medicine was cooling on the worktable. Sofia wiped her hands on her skirt as he cleared away the mess they had made.

"What's next?" She asked brightly. He gestured to the long list on his desk and she retrieved it, skimming over the scribbled chores before handing the page to her mentor.

"Can I help with any of those?" She offered. He eyed the paper warily, feeling that most of the jobs to be done were a complete waste of both their talents. He found one that suited the princess's skill set, and wouldn't require the use of his currently full cauldron.

"Here. A chest salve for the villagers. Seems the nasty virus your brother suffered has half the town in bed." He pointed to the item, and she leaned in to read it, invading his space again to do so. Her overly large gown hung loose, unknowingly exposing her cleavage to his view, and he made it a point to set down the list and busy himself with his own task to avoid taking pleasure in the scenery afforded him.

"How long have you known about those hidden passages, Sofia?" Cedric asked one of the questions he'd been tumbling around in his head all day.

"Seven, maybe eight years. Aunt Tilly told me about them when I was little." Sofia replied absently, already absorbed in gathering the ingredients for the curative paste. He turned to face her, raising one eyebrow in amusement.

"You're still little." Cedric teased. Despite her age, he still towered over the petite princess, who had once declared she'd be taller than him when she grew up. He reminded her of this fact nearly every time the chance presented itself. Sofia turned and stuck out her tongue at him before returning to the salve. Cedric thumbed through the pages of a crimson-bound book, double checking the words for the spell he needed. Confirming that he had the right incantation in mind, he broke the silence.

"Knowledge of every inch of the castle at your disposal, and you use it to sneak into the tower of a crochety old sorcerer?" Sofia giggled, then bit her lip and nodded her answer. Cedric shook his head in disbelief.

"You're not that old. And you are arguably the most interesting person in the castle." She corrected her friend.

"I'm older than you think, girl. Remember, your father and I were children together in this palace. Though, he's closer to my sister's age than mine." At his reply, Sofia turned to study her friend, having quite forgotten that he was nearer to her dad's age than her own. Where Roland had gray scattered through the entirety of his hair, Cedric's white hair remained sequestered to the two thick strips of his bangs. The rest of his hair was as jet black as it had been since the day they'd first met.

Her father's face had deep lines, showing the aging effect that the stress of being in charge of the kingdom had on him, undoubtedly increased by the loss of two wives. Cedric had only two small vertical indents between his eyebrows, and a few horizontal ones near the corners of his eyes, all much less pronounced than the king's. Instead of making him look old, Sofia thought the ones near his eyes made him distinguished, accentuating how handsome he was overall.

"It's rude to stare." Cedric admonished, shifting uncomfortably under the intensity of her gaze. Sofia returned to her project hastily, hoping he hadn't had a chance to see her face redden.

"Sorry, it's just that you don't look anywhere near Dad's age. It's easy to forget." She explained what she had been thinking to her friend.

"Yes, well I suppose all of the pressure does age one." He muttered, running his long finger down the list of chores before he landed on another one that didn't seem entirely dull.

For hours, they worked in peace, the only noises in the workshop were Sofia's contented humming and the occasional soft thud of a book being placed on the desk and opened, pages rustling as one or the other referenced a tome. With both of them going to task, Cedric's obscenely long list of chores was nearly completed as lunch time drew near.

Cedric dipped his quill and scratched out yet another task, mentally splitting the remaining ones between him and Sofia. Selecting his next job, he grabbed his wand from the case Sofia made him years ago, smiling to himself as he closed the box and thoughtfully ran his fingers across the lid. Turning to face an empty patch of floor in the middle of his work shop, he began to wave his wand at it.

"Partum-" He began the incantation. Sofia spun to face him, eyes wide and mouth already open to protest.

"Not that one!" She shouted, but the next word was already leaving Cedric's lips.

"Procursus!" He stated, knowing immediately that it was the wrong word. Sofia, already aware that her warning had come too late, tapped into her years of athletics to dive for the raven perched a few feet away, scooping him up and rolling away, much to the bird's dismay. Behind them, at almost the exact same moment as she grabbed Cedric's familiar, magic arched off Cedric's wand, hitting the floor only to be reflected back up.

Wormwood gave several cries of protest as they tumbled, Sofia hitting her shoulder hard on the floor as she fell. As Sofia landed, the beam of light hit the top of the wooden perch, exploding it into millions of wood splinters on contact. Furious, Cedric was speaking before his brain had a chance to register the action, or the events that led up to it.

"You know better than to interrupt me in the middle of a sp-" He turned his gaze from Sofia to the destroyed perch and back again, mind finally picking up the pieces.

"You knew?" He asked in bewilderment. Sofia's shoulder was in so much agony, all she could do was grasp it and wince, sucking in air sharply. Wormwood pried himself from her tight grip and flew through the high window indignantly.

Cedric quickly closed the gap to the injured princess. He coaxed her up to inspect her bleeding shoulder, flesh peeled away where the stone floor had scraped her soft skin. He had a million questions to ask her, but first he knew he needed to act fast.

"Stay put. If it isn't treated soon it may scar." He stated, rushing to clear off his worktable to begin preparations. Grabbing the needed ingredients, he quickly went to work, frowning at himself and wishing he was as good with healing magic as his apprentice.

When he was finished, he returned to kneel by her side, tenderly applying the curative cream to her shoulder.

"Did you know what would happen because of your dream?" He asked, being direct with the girl about his suspicions. She let out a whimper as the cold cream stung her wound.

"I-I think so. It's still pretty blurry. I didn't remember anything but the very end at first, but when I heard you start the spell, I just knew something was wrong." She explained, squirming away from his hand until he gave her a stern glare, then doing her best to sit still and let him treat her injury.

"Was it the same dream you had in your bed last night?" He inquired, standing to grab a rag. He returned and wiped the ointment off, scowling when he saw that she wasn't completely healed.

"I don't know. I can't remember anything about that one. Does it mean something?" She wiggled again as he rubbed a second application into her skin, but it didn't hurt nearly as much.

"By itself, no. But be sure to let me know if it happens again." He answered. Deciding to let the cream sit this time in hopes that she would heal more, he reached a hand to assist Sofia to her feet.

"What does it mean if it happens again?" She asked. Cedric busied himself with work again, and Sofia quickly caught on that he had no intention of answering her question. Sofia rolled her eyes.

"Must you always be so cryptic?" She prodded. Cedric simply shrugged.

"You like it better this way." He answered in a teasing voice. Sofia opened her mouth to protest, but when she thought about it, he was absolutely right. Cedric made her figure things out for herself, usually through trial and error, and she loved a good puzzle. He was the only one in her life who would allow her to fail in order to learn a lesson, and it was refreshing, if not occasionally troublesome. Still, just this once she wished he would give her the answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I've changed my update schedule. The new one can be found in my profile. Other than that, not a lot to say here. As an insomniac, I can tell you that after a few days of little sleep, you're way more likely to say yes to things and be distracted, so that's why Cedric's so easy in this chapter. That and we all know he never could say no to Sofia, lol.

* * *

The princess's cycle ended without further incident. One morning she woke to find it gone, much to her relief. When she happily informed Cedric, he explained that it would be back in roughly a month, a fact she was not at all fond of, but grew to accept. He also insisted she return to sleeping in her own quarters, an idea she resisted as hard as she could, but ultimately had to relent. Her dreams were relatively peaceful, and Cedric was no longer concerned with them. Until a couple of weeks later, when he heard her signature knock in the middle of the night. Throwing his robe on, he hurried to answer the door, only to find the very distraught young girl standing at his doorstep, looking as pale as a spectre. He ushered her in quickly, unable to ignore the distance in her gaze.

"What is it, little one?" He asked her quietly, almost afraid that if he spoke louder he'd spook her right out of her skin.

"I dreamt-" She started, but then shook her head, trying to calm her racing thoughts so she could focus on remembering the details of the dream that had awakened her. The harder she tried to recall, the more intense the searing pain in her head grew.

"Sofia?" Cedric asked, overcome with concern.

"My head hurts." She whimpered, pushing her fingers to her temples and rubbing, trying to relieve the building pressure. Cedric hurried to fix her a brew of circumin, feverfew, butterbur, and black tea, his best combination for migraines. While it steeped, he dug out a vial of peppermint oil and applied it to her temples, gently massaging it into her skin.

As he worked his fingers against her fair skin, his face was so close to hers that he could feel her breath. His eyes traveled to her soft, pink lips, slightly parted and practically calling out to him.

He reminded himself that she was in pain, frightened, and had not so long ago admitted to already having feelings for someone, and admonished himself for the strong temptation he was feeling to lean forward and capture her lips with his own. The urge to kiss the princess was wrong on so many levels, and he would absolutely not give into it. A slight moan escaped her lips, and he moved away from her before he could act on his impulses. Her eyes flew open, her lips forming a pout as he stood. She opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by the sound of Cedric's kettle.

Never had Cedric been so relieved to hear the whistle as he was right now, and he quickly crossed the room to pour the brew, avoiding the girl's gaze as he set it on the table in front of her. When she eyed the drink suspiciously, he let out a nervous chuckle.

"I promise, this one tastes better than the last." Cedric assured her. She brought it close to her face and blew the steam off of it, the action drawing Cedric's attention back to her mouth.

He decided it best not to even look at her, so he moved to his desk and pretended to be very busy with one of the papers he found on top of it. Once he wasn't so distracted by the mere sight of the princess, he convinced himself that he was simply having strange thoughts from weariness, having hardly been to sleep in the last few days. It didn't help that his bed felt disturbingly empty after spending almost a week sharing it with Sofia. He wondered if she would ask to stay again tonight, then decided that if she did, his answer would have to be no. He allowed her time to finish her tea before speaking again.

"Is your headache better?" He asked flatly, still keeping up the pretense of being occupied with work. The abrupt break in the silence of the tower caused Sofia to jump.

"Y-yes. But that's not why I came." She answered haltingly. Cedric waited for her to proceed, but she said nothing further. With a sigh, he abandoned his desk and walked back to claim the seat opposite the princess.

"What is it, Sofia?" He prodded, impatient to send the girl back to her room so he could try to sleep, but not wanting to do so until she had said whatever it was she needed to.

"I... It's Baileywick." She stated, her voice quiet but sure. She tried hard to stem the flow of tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

"Were you sent word?" He asked, wondering why no one but Sofia had been to his tower, yet. She shook her head, and he felt his confusion grow. Sofia took a deep breath before she spoke.

"I dreamed that it would happen. Today, I believe. I know you said the dreams probably mean nothing, but it felt so important, so very real, Mr Ceedric." Losing her battle, she began to sob, greatful for the feel of her friend's arms wrapping around her. She allowed herself to be lost in her grief, secure in the knowledge that she was safe with the sorcerer.

"I don't know what I'd do without him. Who will help care for Tristan?" She asked, cursing herself for thinking selfishly of all the things that Baileywick did for her family over the years, instead of who he was as a person. The two were so interchangeable, though, that she almost felt he wouldn't mind. Cedric watched the girl fret, swallowing his feelings at seeing her grieve so for a man he utterly loathed.

"Sofia, you must calm yourself. It was only a dream. Didn't you tell me just yesterday that he seemed to be doing better?" He hoped his words would help the girl, but he couldn't be sure anything was getting through to her in her current state. He pulled back from the embrace so he could face her.

Sofia nodded slightly. Baileywick had been up and about just yesterday, even serving the royals dinner, despite her insistence that the steward not push himself. Before the man retired for the night, he was going over the details of her much dreaded ball with some of the servants who were overseeing the preparations in his absence.

"I suppose you're right. Would you come with me when I visit him today?" Her eyes pleaded with the sorcerer as she spoke. He felt so torn. He didn't want to spend any more time with the steward than he needed to, but Sofia clearly needed his support. He decided to take her to show her that Baileywick was okay, and then he'd be free to leave once she was reassured of his health.

"Fine. I'll pick you up in the morning, and we'll go see Baileywick." He muttered his agreement. Sofia's mouth, which he was absolutely not staring at again, fell to a pout.

"Oh... I was kind of hoping I could stay here... in case I have another nightmare?" Sofia prodded. Sure, there were plenty of other reasons she wanted to stay that she was omitting, but she really didn't want to wake from another terrible dream alone.

Cedric ran a hand through his white bangs, standing to face away from Sofia, though he could swear he could feel her eyes on him anyways. _No. No you can't stay. No, I can't.._. His mind urged him to speak the words out loud. But there was another part of him fighting back, and it was screaming for him to say exactly the opposite. He glanced back at Sofia, still begging him with her eyes. He let out a frustrated groan.

"Only this one night, Sofia. Then you go right back to sleeping in your room." He surrendered against his better judgement. She gave a loud squeek and bolted for his room, leaving Cedric to ponder on how he had been so easily manipulated once again. _One of these days, Sofia, I'm going to put my foot down._


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** Kind of a lighthearted chapter, because I felt like they needed a break.

* * *

Sofia was already laying in his bed with her back to the door when he walked into the room.

"Goodnight, little one." He said, pulling the covers over her and turning to retreat to his workshop.

"You're not coming to bed?" She asked, not bothering to turn around, but alerted by the sound of his departing footsteps.

"I have more work to do." He told her evenly, although he really didn't have anything so pressing that it couldn't wait until tomorrow.

"It's the middle of the night!" She protested. Cedric was determined not to get into bed with Sofia this time, supposing he'd eventually fall asleep in his armchair, or just stay up all night. It wasn't like he'd been sleeping lately, anyways. If he didn't give in, maybe she'd stop asking to stay overnight.

"I'll be back as soon as I'm finished." He lied, heading for the door again.

"Okay, good luck." She called after him. He thought it was a strange thing to say, but was glad she wasn't trying to stop him from leaving anymore.

"Sofia!" He shouted about ten minutes later, racing back down the stairs and barging into the bedroom. The princess was doing her best to stay perfectly still, pretending to be asleep, but he could hear the sound of her poorly stifled giggles.

"Where is it?" He demanded, advancing a couple of steps towards his bed. More giggling, even less successfully hidden this time. If at any point he believed her innocent of wrongdoing, that idea was gone now.

"I'm not playing, child. Where is it?" He repeated the question, emphasizing each word as he did. Sofia couldn't resist any longer. She glanced over her shoulder to study her friend in the low light of the room.

"Where is what?" She asked, her voice a playful tease, and her eyes wide in feigned innocence. When he glared back at her, she bit her lip to keep from erupting into another fit of laughter.

"Don't be cheeky, you know very well what I mean. Now give it back!" He insisted, taking another step in her direction.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She continued to play innocent, though she couldn't hide her amusement very well. Another step from Cedric further closed the gap.

"My wand, Sofia! Give me my wand." He reached out his hand, but she had no intention of ending the game just yet.

"I don't have it." She protested. He briefly considered that maybe she hid it somewhere, but he already tore through his workshop looking for it. Besides, she'd been seated at his table the whole time they were upstairs. He was at the edge of the bed now, his hand still reaching out.

"Sofia, give me the wand, or I'm going to..." He faltered, his mind fumbling to come up with a threat that might convince the mischievous girl to do as he said.

"You're going to what, Mr Cee-dric?" She challenged, drawing his name out for added effect, her eyes dancing with merriment. He narrowed his own dark gaze, doing his best to look menacing. He was still trying to think of a good way to finish his statement.

"Give me the wand, or I'm going to take it from you myself." He growled the only thing that came to mind, internally grimacing at how lame the statement sounded. Her expression changed to one he didn't quite recognize, but he didn't get a chance to try and decipher it.

"Try it." She challenged. Cedric didn't know what he was thinking. He wasn't even sure he was thinking. Suddenly, he was on the bed, doing his best to wrestle the girl and retrieve his wand from her.

Sofia was petite, but also athletic, and she gave him a run for his money. A few times she even managed to knock him onto his back, surprising the older man with her strength. Throughout the whole encounter, she was squealing and laughing with glee, clearly enjoying their sparring match. Ultimately, though, his size advantage won out, and he found himself straddling the princess, her wrists pinned to the bed on either side of her head, her hips held down by the weight of his body, both of them panting hard from the exertion.

"Where is it?" He growled again, willing himself to focus on the task at hand instead of getting caught up in the fact that Sofia was underneath him in his bed, her chest heaving as she sucked in deep breaths, her eyes staring up at him half-lidded. They'd done this before, when she was a child and he would tickle her until she collapsed, chasing away the hint of saddness that sometimes tainted her features in quiet moments, but she had grown so much since then, and Cedric was painfully aware of the differences. His gaze trailed back down to the lips that had been on his mind all night, soft, pink, and just slightly parted. He was convinced that more perfect lips had never existed.

His attention was torn away from her mouth to her hand as she stretched slender fingers up under his pillow, slowly producing his wand as they returned to view. He released her wrist to grab it away from her before she had a chance to change her mind.

Flashing him a wicked grin, she stretched her arm all the way out, forcing him to lean forward to reach for it, which brought their bodies closer together. Just as he grazed the wand with his fingertips, she deftly switched it to her pinned hand. He tried to grab it away, but her grasp was firm and strong.

Maintaining his grip on the end of the wand, he lowered his face until he was staring her directly in the eyes, his long, pointed nose nearly making contact with hers.

"Game's over, Sofia. Let go." He commanded her sternly. She shook her head, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Make me." She answered, her voice heavy with playful defiance. All rational thought leaving him, he lowered his lips to claim hers, moving gently against her mouth at first. Sofia raised her free hand and tangled her fingers through the black hair at the back of his head, and Cedric deepened the kiss, giving into the aching need that washed over him.

He pulled back far enough to gently nip at her bottom lip, coaxing her into opening her mouth so his tongue could snake inside, touching against hers gingerly at first, but he grew bolder when she used the hand wrapped in his hair to pull him impossibly closer.

He felt her grip loosen on the wand, but now he was the one unwilling to end this game. He allowed his tongue to explore Sofia's mouth, memorizing the taste and feel of their kiss, and delighting in the little moans and squeaks that escaped the princess. Knowing he would have to come up for air soon, he took the opportunity to grab his wand from her slackened fingers, using the advantage of his longer limbs to hold it up out of her reach as he forced himself to pull away from her mouth.

"I win." He announced, doing his best to look as triumphant as his words sounded, and pulling himself off of the girl. He climbed out of bed and marched out of the room without looking back to see her reaction.

He made it all the way up to the workshop before he slumped down onto the floor, holding his head in his hands. _What the blazing hell have I done?_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** In case anyone is wondering how Sofia got the wand, she grabbed it when his back was turned to her at the end of last chapter. That's why she was in such a hurry to get to his room once he said yes. Knowing her friend as well as she does, I suppose she caught onto his hesitance and took it as insurance, thinking if he couldn't find it he would just give up and come to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Don't know why I always follow these two getting together with an angsty chapter... I just can't fathom Cedric going "Yeah that happened, it was great and I'm happy now." without freaking out a little in between. Thanks for all the great reviews on the last chapter, and hope everyone likes this one, too.

* * *

Sofia stayed in the bed, lost in her thoughts. Cedric had kissed her, and it was the most amazing, wonderful kiss. Far better than that time she and Hugo had stumbled through trying to get their first kisses out of the way, being the last of all their friends who hadn't done so. That kiss was all bumping teeth and noses, their hands remaining awkwardly dropped to their sides.

Cedric's kiss had even been better than she imagined it would be all the times she daydreamed about the sorcerer. She reached up and placed her fingers to her mouth, wanting to prolong the feeling of his lips on hers. She sighed, bringing herself back down to earth.

He only kissed her to get his wand back, it hadn't meant anything to him. It was silly to be sitting here feeling over the moon about the kiss while he was already upstairs moving on with his work like nothing happened.

Cedric sat at his desk, head held in his hands. _Sofia must hate me._ He griped. He knew she had feelings for someone else, that her heart was already spoken for, and he disregarded her feelings to get what he wanted. He stared at his wand, half-tempted to snap the blasted thing in two. He'd been so caught up in the moment, in the challenge she presented him. Her sweet giggles and cheeky smile overwhelmed his better judgement completely.

 _Why the hell did I kiss her?_ He let out a pained groan, trying in vain to put the thoughts of the night aside and focus on his work. He reread the first task several times, the words refusing to make sense. One week. In one week she would be presented to all the potential suitors at her ball. She'd receive untold amounts of offers, maybe even from the boy she really liked. He would have to sit idly by and watch all this unfold, and it would have been so much easier to do so without the knowledge of how she felt and tasted.

Those memories would torment him to his grave, he was sure of it. He couldn't let on, though. It would be better that she believed it had meant nothing for him, either, and went on with the life she really wanted. Eventually, he fell asleep with his shoulders slumped, face pressed against his desk.

He couldn't be sure how long he slept before she shook him awake. It was still dark outside, and his candle was burning low, struggling to light the small portion of room that the two of them occupied.

"Mr Ceedric, please wake up." Sofia sniffled as she grasped his shoulders, imploring him to rise. It was the sound that captured his attention, and he lifted his head to study the princess. Her eyes were rimmed with red, cheeks tear-stained. All of his wretched feelings returned, warring for his attention, but none of them mattered as much as the pained girl in front of him.

"More dreams?" He questioned, his voice still thick with sleep. He could just barely make out her nod, and with a groan he rose from his seat, blowing the candle out and using his wand to light their way back to his bedroom. He helped the shaky princess into bed, and stepped back.

"Are you leaving again?" Her voice trembled as she questioned him. He shook his head.

"Merely taking my shoes off, princess." He answered. He used the word princess as a shield, a reminder of the wall that must always remain between them. He was sure she was as aware of this fact as he was, but she said nothing.

Once his shoes and socks were off, he climbed into bed, and Sofia slid back and settled against him. _Just this once,_ he reminded himself. _Just tonight, and she goes back to her room where she belongs._ Her breathing grew soft and even as she fell asleep beneath his arm. He leaned forward and chanced a quick kiss on her cheek, though he knew it was only adding to his torment to do so.

At some point, he must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, it was morning, sunlight streaming in through the window near his bed. His bed was empty, and he rolled over to search the room for Sofia. When he couldn't find her, he dared to believe that he'd dreamed the whole night. It was sad to think the kiss had never happened, but it would also fix the entire problem.

Soon, he heard her voice up in his workshop, though, no doubt bidding Wormwood a good morning. With some effort, Cedric dragged himself out of bed, and headed upstairs to see what she was up to.

He found her in the adjacent room, curled up in his armchair with a large tome propped open in her lap.

"What are you reading?" He croaked out, his voice thick and groggy. She jumped at the sound and the book tried to fall to the floor, but she managed to rescue it.

"I... um, nothing?" She tried to state, but it came out more like a question, peaking Cedric's suspicions. He marched over and deftly retrieved the book from her hands, thumbing through it to find what she'd been so absorbed in. Finally hitting a page that gave him pause, he turned back to Sofia, who was doing her best to avoid his gaze.

"You usually sleep later than this." She pointed out, as if it excused her sneaking upstairs to research such a topic.

"I told you, Sofia, there's nothing magic can do for him." He replied, snapping the book shut and tucking it away on a nearby shelf.

"But that said-" She tried, but he wasn't going to hear her out.

"It says that you have to give up something equal in exchange. Do you have any idea what that means?" He lectured, his eyes narrowing at her as he spoke. She shook her head.

"Of course you don't. You're just a child. A princess, at that, not accustomed to fretting over the cost of anything." He knew it wasn't true, and he hated himself for saying it, but if she was really considering casting that spell, he would say anything to scare her away from it. Sofia opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her.

"A life for a life, Sofia. A soul for a soul. With no guarantee that the man who comes back will be the same as the one who left." He explained the deal she would be making by casting the spell as plainly as possible.

"But, if there's a chance..." She whispered, still not looking at him.

"I know Baileywick means a great deal to you. You believe this dream was real, and that terrifies you. But forbidden magic is never the answer." He kept his tone firm, for the first time finding something he could refuse the princess, but regretting it all the same.

"I saved Wormwood." She countered, finally turning her eyes to him.

"Yes, and I thank you for it. But that dream was a coincidence, and this one is merely born from the worries about your friend." He insisted, still not fully convinced that these dreams meant anything in the first place.

"If I can save Baileywick, too, then I should try." She pressed on, still stubbornly ignoring his warnings.

"I would bind your magic first." Cedric warned, ignoring the anger that flashed across Sofia's face. He meant it, if he even suspected that she was about to try the spell, he would render her incapable of such a thing.

"Now, I believe I promised you that we could go visit." He said, walking back into his workshop to pull on his robe.


End file.
